


One Week to Fall in Love

by detectivetinsley



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, Finral is a good brother, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Langris does get violated in the beginning, Langris is doing his best, M/M, No Smut, Not Canon Compliant, Slow Burn, Sorry to disappoint, also this happens four years after Asta joins the black bulls, and by slow burn... i mean really slow, but it's between him and a dancer at Finaral's bachelor party, but this is a really sweet story and i hope u like it, other than that it's pretty pure, sorry no minor/adult content for u, that's literally the only real big thing to take note of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detectivetinsley/pseuds/detectivetinsley
Summary: It's one week before Finral marries the love of his life and Langris couldn't be happier for his brother. Plus, it seems like ever since Finral and Langris rekindled their relationship, the Black Bulls have accepted Langris as one of their own. Except Langris doesn't think he deserves it. So, it's naturally gonna take everything the Black Bulls can do to prove him otherwise. It's gonna take one week, precisely, to prove him otherwise.One week to prove he doesn't have to be perfect to be loved.One week to prove love can happen to anyone, even him.
Relationships: Asta/Langris Vaude, Finesse Calmreich/Finral Roulacase, Finral Roulacase & Langris Vaude
Comments: 28
Kudos: 40





	1. One Week before the Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Black Clover fic. I'm not caught up on the manga or the anime yet, so it doesn't follow canon and I just thought Langris and Asta would be an interesting pair so... this is what happened.

Everyone loved Asta. It’s something Langris never really understood. Granted, the kid (well, he’s not so much of a kid now, is he?) had saved the kingdom on more than one occasion… and he did stop Langris from killing Finral, which would have inevitably destroyed him if he had been able to go through with it. So… okay, maybe Langris can kind of understand. Asta, despite having no magic, refused to give up in his (albeit ridiculous, in Langris’ eyes) dream of being the wizard king. It was admirable to a fault.

Still, if it hadn’t been for Asta, Langris wouldn’t be here now, in the Black Bulls hideout, watching as everything began to unfold.

They were celebrating Finral’s bachelor party tonight. The girls had stolen Finesse away and from what his mother had said prior to that, the woman had been looking forward to it all day. Finesse didn’t have many friends with her condition but the Black Bulls hadn’t let that stop them. Langris couldn’t help but be grateful for them despite the grudge he had against them (or at least that’s what he claims… he’s been spending a lot more time with the Black Bulls due to him and Finral finally getting along once again).

Besides, Langris wasn’t the only outsider invited to the party. Leopold of the Crimson Lion Kings was also present… as was Yuno of the Golden Dawn and also Langris’ squad mate. They came together, actually. But Langris felt… out of sorts. He’d never been to the Black Bulls hideout, despite his relationship with Finral. He was hanging around in the back, watching as everyone created a ruckus.

Which, of course, brings us back to Asta.

Everyone knew that he and Noelle had broken up recently and despite their claims to be just fine, it was clear to Langris that someone was more upset over the break up than they were letting on… and it wasn’t Noelle.

It wasn’t that Langris cared or anything, but it was clear to him that the usually loud (and tiny) young man was faking it, which was… of course, for Finral, because he didn’t want him to worry. He really was admirable to a fault.

“Hey! Langris!” The loud mouth’s voice interrupts his thoughts then, causing Langris to blink in surprise. Suddenly, those emerald eyes were right in front of his face, arms flailing about.

Langris tried not to crack a smile. He failed.

“What are you doing all the way over here? You know your brother is getting married soon, right?” He huffs irritably, arms now crossed over his chest. He was a literal child, even though he was nineteen.

Langris looked away, eyes scanning the room. No one else was paying them any mind. Well… no one except Finral, who was now staring at his brother with worried eyes.

 _Goddammit_ …

He sighed and looked back at Asta, his arms drooping downwards. “Whatever…”

Asta, seemingly not satisfied with that, now had a frown on his lips. “You’re not feeling out of place are you? Finral wanted you here and like it or not, if Finral accepts you, so do we. That’s just who we are and you’re just going to have to get used to it.”

Langris huffed, fighting down a flush that began to creep up his neck. He’s spent so long believing he had to be perfect to be loved. This was unacceptable. He wasn’t about to let some magic-less freak tell him if he was accepted or not. He didn’t have a say in that.

“You’re one to talk about being out of place,” he began in a low voice, startling both of them by the intensity of his tone. “My brother is getting married to the love of his life and you can’t even successfully pretend like it doesn’t bother you that you’re not.”

Asta’s mouth gaped open in shock; hurt flickering in his eyes before abruptly disappearing. He looked as if he wanted to say something—anything—but Langris didn’t give him the chance as he turned and pushed passed him to join the party.

Regret churned in the pit of his stomach, but Langris wasn’t going to take his words back. It wasn’t like he and Asta were friends. It wasn’t like Langris _had_ any friends.

***

Langris didn’t drink very often and there was a reason why the bachelor and bachelorette party was set a week before the actual wedding—the reason being that Finral couldn’t hold his liquor very well and there was no way he was going to have his wedding day ruined by being hungover. It was a noble effort and Langris had applauded him for it.

As for Langris… well, he didn’t drink very often and not because he couldn’t hold his liquor… he had a tendency to drink too much. And because he was a co-vice captain for the Golden Dawn (along with goody-two shoes, Yuno) he knew he couldn’t exactly chance it. The first time he got drunk, it took him an entire two days to recover. Granted that was back when he was only fifteen before the entrance exams had taken place, but the point still stands. Getting drunk was not something he did very often because he knew what happened when he did.

Tonight, however, Langris drank. He drank the guilt away, because as much as he’d like to deny it, Langris had a heart and he felt awful for the way he treated Asta… and for the way he had treated everyone at one point or another. Finral was a good brother, always had been, and constantly made excuses for his brother’s behavior. It was something Langris didn’t deserve and for a long time it only made him resent his brother even more.

The captain of the Black Bulls had hired some dancers, though he himself had departed from that segment of the party—mumbling something about how Charlotte would kill him if he were surrounded by beautiful women. In any case, Finral was doing surprisingly well. He was refusing to drink more than he could handle and kept his hands to himself. Langris was proud of him.

Of course, there were others who were much more eager by the company. Magna seemed very into the dancers, but he was still a gentleman. Actually… all the men were; it was very impressive.

Asta, on the other hand… was hilariously awkward. It was a sight to behold. He had no idea how to react and Langris couldn’t help but actually laugh at the poor guy’s expense. At hearing his laughter, Asta’s head spun around to look at him. His embarrassed expression turned into a look of wonder before a brilliant smile painted his face, illuminating the room anew.

Langris didn’t know why but the fact that that smile was aimed at him made him uneasy and he found himself looking away quickly, burying his face in his drink.

That, of course, was the moment when one of the dancers decided to give her undivided attention to him. She touched his cheek, attempting to get his attention on her instead of the drink in his hand. Slowly, Langris lifted his head to look at her, his stomach tied in knots. He’d never been one for the scandalous and while it was a bachelor party, this was way out of his territory. He shook his head at her, a frown now on his lips.

“Please don’t touch me,” he said in such a quiet voice he didn’t think she heard him and he was proven correct when her other hand touched his neck—and Langris just about lost it. As quick as a flash, his hand shot out to grab her wrist, slowly pulling her hand away. “I said no.”

The dancer, unfortunately for her, didn’t seem to get the hint. She seemed to think it was some sort of game.

“Oh, you’re so cute,” she purred, wiggling her hand out of his grasp and without waiting for his response, she plopped her slender body into his lap, her lips pressed to his right ear. “You can pretend not to like it all you want, but there isn’t a man I haven’t danced for who doesn’t.”

Langris squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth together as he attempted to keep his cool. “Look, I’m sure those men were very happy to oblige, but I’m not interested. Now please, get off of me.” He opened his eyes as he spoke, hoping to make his position on the matter clear.

“Not interested?” She scoffed. “I don’t believe that.”

If Langris thought it was bad enough now, he had no idea what was in store for him.

“Every man enjoys being touched. Even virgins want it. Let me show you what I mean.”

For the third time that night, Langris felt his insides twist up, but not like they had before. No, this was for a whole other reason, a very unpleasant one, and he wouldn’t realize what that feeling was until much later. It was dread.

With one easy movement, the dancer took his drink from his hands and placed it on the table next to him. She then grabbed his hands and placed them on her waist. He wasn’t completely plastered, but he was drunk enough to not realize what she was doing.

If the others could sense his discomfort, they didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Or perhaps they were too preoccupied. He’s certain that if Finral had known how uncomfortable he was, he’d have stepped in. But his big brother wasn’t there to save him this time.

“Are you a virgin?” She asked in what Langris could only identify as a condescending tone.

He didn’t answer, his eyes unfocused and confused as he looked up at her.

A smirk appeared upon her lips. “I thought so.”

Langris didn’t like that. He didn’t like the way she looked at him. The predatory look in her eyes made him even more uncomfortable than he thought was possible. He’s never been in this kind of position before. In fact, he didn’t imagine he’d ever be in this situation before.

She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth as his face paled and rolled her hips into his—and that’s exactly when something in Langris snapped.

He removed his hands from her waist and shoved her off of him. Hard. “I said no!” She fell to the ground with a thud. She was probably lucky he’d been sitting down or else she could have been seriously injured by the amount of force he’d used. At this point, he was standing up, the chair knocked out from underneath him.

Langris was trembling.

Everything around them came to an abrupt halt… but the dancer seemed hardly phased as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. She tilted her head to the side and let out a laugh, as if mocking him. “I think I know why you didn’t like that.” She approached him then, confusing Langris further. Why was she not freaking out about him shoving her like that? Hell, he could tell that the other dancers were furious with him. And yet… she was laughing? She leaned in then, reaching forwards to fix his shirt. She was taller than he was and he suddenly felt like a child being scolded by an adult. “I think maybe I just don’t have the right parts.”

Langris gawked at her as she then pulled away, his face inevitably heating up at the accusation. The right parts? He wasn’t stupid; he knew exactly what she was insinuating, but having someone actually say that to his face? That’s a scandal all its own.

And just like that, everyone decided to flood the pair; the dancers asking her if she was okay and the others asking Langris what the hell he thought he was doing.

He was becoming more and more overwhelmed, feeling claustrophobic, and shoved his way to the door of the Black Bulls hideout. This was too much for him. He knew he shouldn’t have come. He opened the door and disappeared into the night, adamant that no one would follow him.

(He was wrong of course.)

***

Langris had considered going back to the Golden Dawn headquarters, but he had a feeling that the captain wouldn’t just let him go to bed, even if he tried to sneak back in. Nothing slipped past Captain Vangeance. So, with that in mind, he headed out into the forest. He was aware of the dangers that came with the forest, but he was certain there wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

He found a fallen tree at the edge of a clearing and climbed atop of it to sit down, pulling his knees to his chest. He was incredibly embarrassed by everything that had taken place, but he was certain there wasn’t anything he could do to fix it. He had pushed a girl off of him and to anyone who didn’t know what was happening that wasn’t okay. She had invaded his privacy though and hadn’t listened to him when he told her no… he felt so violated. He groaned in misery and buried his face in the crook of his arm.

He was far from perfect… how could anyone accept him now?

***

He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but at some point he had, because he was suddenly awoken by a gentle hand pressed against his shoulder. He opened his eyes after a few moments, as if he were attempting to go back to sleep. With bleary eyes, he looked around for whoever had awoken him from his impromptu nap. To his surprise, he was greeted by a sheepish looking Asta.

Unsure if he was still asleep or not, Langris decided to close his eyes again and reopen them, but of course, when he reopened them, Asta was still there.

“Uh…?” He struggled to form words, eyebrows furrowing as he sat up. “How—how did you find me?”

Asta gave him a lopsided grin, emerald eyes rolling in amusement. Was… was he making fun of him? “I’ve lived here for four years, Langris. I may be an idiot, but I’m not stupid.”

Langris snorted and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Look, I know you’re all probably pissed off—”

Asta shakes his head and interrupts him, “We’re not mad at you, Langris. I overheard the whole thing, but the others wouldn’t listen to me until you stormed out.”

Langris gaped at him. “Wait… you?” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t… storm out.”

It was Asta’s turn to snort. “Whatever you say—but she pushed you too far and that wasn’t okay.” Langris didn’t respond, eyes drifting downwards. He couldn’t look the other in the eyes, not after what he’d said to him earlier.

Sensing there was more to it than what was lead on, Asta spoke again. “Finral’s really worried about you. I think you should come back to the hideout.”

Finally looking up at him, Langris was surprised to see Asta holding out his hand to him, that sheepish smile still embedded in his expression. Langris didn’t respond, but took Asta’s hand nonetheless and allowed the younger man to pull him off the fallen tree.

Together, they headed back to the hideout.

They were quiet for a little while, but then Asta spoke again, pulling Langris’ attention towards him once again.

“You were right, by the way.”

An uncomfortable smile pulled at Langris’ lips. “Usually am—you’ll have to be more specific.”

Asta snorted again.

“I miss Noelle—but I don’t think she’s the love of my life. I mean, I don’t even know if I’ve met them yet, you know? For the longest time I thought Sister Lily was the love of my life! She could never marry me!” He chuckles a little at that while Langris raises an eyebrow. He’d heard about that… probably overheard it from Yuno and Mimosa talking; Asta had been obsessed with a nun and had been determined to have her hand in marriage. “But you were right. It’s hard for me to be happy for someone when I feel so… empty.”

Asta came to a stop then, alerting Langris immediately, so he followed suit and stopped. He was still looking at Langris with those piercing green eyes; eyes Langris was sure could see right into his soul.

Langris had to look away.

“But then I saw how hard you were trying to be a good brother and it reminded me that I don’t have to force anything. That it’s okay to be uncertain, to feel sad, as long as I remember what’s really important.”

This… of course, caught Langris off guard and Asta, once again, had his undivided attention. He felt a blush creeping along his neck and hoped it wasn’t overly obvious.

But Asta wasn’t done. He pressed on. “It’s okay, you know? You may not realize it now and it may take you a while, but I think one day you’ll realize that there are people who accept you and love you for who you are. You don’t have to be perfect.” He smiled brightly then and continued their path back to the hideout.

Langris stared after him for a long moment; his stomach began tying itself in knots once again, though this time… he’s not sure why.

“Hey! Langris! Are you coming or what?”

Langris blinked and gave a small smile as he shook his head and followed after Asta without a second thought. He didn’t know it yet, but this would be the beginning and the ending of everything.


	2. 6 Days before the Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Langris thought things couldn't get more weird, Finral drags him out for another "fun night". Naturally, instead of dealing with things like normal people, Langris finds solace in alcohol once again. He will, undoubtedly, regret this as well.

When Langris and Asta returned to the hideout, he was relieved to see everyone smiling – well, except Yuno, but Langris was certain that that man never smiled (unless it was at Asta and that made him question just how much Yuno actually cared about him). Unfortunately, due to the amount of people at the hideout, and none of them having manners and talking over one another, Langris couldn’t actually understand anything they said to him – not until the captain of the Black Bulls himself interrupted his squad and quieted the room with his booming voice. Honestly, Captain Yami was a little terrifying.

It was still early enough for the party to continue, so instead of letting this experience ruin his brother’s bachelor party, they just moved on and headed out to a different town in the common realm for drinks at a local bar. It was usually beneath him, but Langris couldn’t help but notice the way his brother stared at him, urging him to try and have fun. The unspoken communication would have been nearly enough to get him going, but Asta pushed him further by dragging him along with him. He wasn’t sure when Asta had decided to latch onto him, but from that moment forward, Langris couldn’t seem to escape his grasp. 

It was endearing almost. Asta had more or less taken him under his wing despite the way Langris had treated him.

_Endearing or stupid?_

Langris snorted and just let himself be dragged around. If he found himself relaxing and actually enjoying himself… well, that was no one’s business but his own. 

Judging by the piercing eyes of his older brother, it didn’t go completely unnoticed.

***

Langris wasn’t sure what time they returned to the hideout that night, but he knows that he most likely passed out as soon as they got inside. It seemed that despite his interaction with the dancer earlier in the evening, it hadn’t quite ruined the mage’s experience and he began drinking in the masses once more. Needless to say, Finral had been worried that his little brother was going to make himself sick and no matter how many times he tried to get him to stop, Langris kept pushing him away, insisting that he was fine.

The morning after would prove otherwise as he awoke with a splitting headache, his stomach churning and— _dear god, why was it so fucking bright?_ His eyes weren’t fully open yet, but the light behind his eyelids was more than enough to stir him. He groaned and turned over onto his stomach, shielding his face from this newfound enemy. 

He hadn’t realized he wasn’t alone until he heard a chuckle, stirring him further from his attempt at returning to slumber. He slowly opened one eye; tilting his head in the direction he heard the noise.

With blurry vision, he could make out the shape of the Black Bulls captain, sitting at the table with a newspaper in his hands and a cigarette hanging from his lips. He wasn’t looking at the paper though; his eyes were trained on his guest with an eyebrow raised in what Langris could only deem as amusement. 

“Quite a show you put on last night. Who knew you had it in you?” The captain said, leaning forward. He was talking just loud enough to create an echo of pain inside his head. How much did he drink last night?

As if to answer his question, the captain continued to speak. “Finral did say you don’t drink a lot and I can see why. At any rate, I’m impressed your tiny body could contain all that alcohol. You may just give Vanessa a run for her money.”

Langris snorted at that and immediately regretted it; he quickly squeezed his eyes shut to try and will the pain away to no avail. Of course, Langris knew he couldn’t just lie there all day. He was still at the Black Bulls hideout after all. He didn’t belong there and would have to return to the Golden Dawn at some point. He sighed and slowly sat up, pressing a hand to his neck. Considering the hideout was still quiet, that could only mean that no one else was up yet. Which was just fine—he figured if there was anyone who would tell him what exactly happened, it would probably be Yami.

“Mind telling me what exactly happened last night? I don’t—really remember.” If his face lit up in embarrassment, he would lie and say it was just because he was dehydrated or something. 

Yami was more than eager to tell him, offering him a chair at the table to which Langris accepted as he slowly got to his feet. He may have stumbled on his way over but if anyone asked, Langris would deny that, too.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Too-Good-for-Us,” Yami began, a smirk on his lips as Langris sat down, burying his head in his hands. “You didn’t do anything too stupid. Well, at least, not that I’m aware of. That was Magna and Luck’s job—dancing all over the tables and getting us kicked out.” The captain harrumphed in amusement.

A flash of the scene played in Langris’ memory and if his head hadn’t been hurting him as much as it was, he probably would have laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. The Black Bulls were definitely something else. 

“Plus, Asta and Finral refused to let you out of their sights the whole night. I don’t really understand it as you’re a grown ass man and don’t need babysitting, but that’s none of my business.”

Langris lifted his head briefly to look at him, eyebrows furrowed. He could remember bits of that; every time Langris started to wonder off, Asta was right at his side, pulling him back. Langris wasn’t sure where he was going half the time, but it didn’t matter, because he apparently didn’t fight it—which was embarrassing all on its own; not that Langris was going to admit that. He didn’t need anyone to know how easily swayed drunk Langris was. There were two forms of drunk that Langris seemed to take on… he either started fights more than usual or he became completely helpless.

He buried his head in his hands once again when he realized just what form he apparently had taken on the previous night. 

Langris didn’t have to see Yami’s face to know that that asshole was smiling. He could feel it burn into his skull. “As soon as we got you home, the little runt had to carry you to the couch. It would have been adorable if he hadn’t been drunk off his ass, too. It truly was a sight. Hilarious. The two of you crack me up.” 

Langris’ cheeks burned viciously now. He hadn’t remembered _that_. In fact, out of the few memories of the night that Langris had, he didn’t even remember seeing Asta drinking. But then again, Langris had been drinking pretty heavily, so it wasn’t all that surprising that he didn’t remember. Still, he couldn’t even remember Asta carrying him and he feels like that’s something he _should have_ remembered. 

Just then, Yami leaned in close, startling Langris into sitting up straight. The captain looked beyond amused. He lifted a hand and clamped it over Langris’ left shoulder, confusing the vice captain further. “You’re kinda clingy when you’re drunk, too. I don’t think Asta could have left you if he had tried—not that I think he would have anyways.” Seeing the color drain from Langris’ face, the captain laughed—loud and boisterous. He didn’t say anything else and stood up to abandon the Golden Dawn member at the table.

The captain mumbled something about needing to take a dump before disappearing out of sight. It wasn’t until he was gone did Langris finally let his head fall to the table with a soft thud and let out a groan. How was he supposed to face anyone now, knowing how he had acted? Being the coward that he was, Langris didn’t wait to find out.

Despite his pounding headache, Langris fled the Black Bulls hideout and returned to the Golden Dawn to bury himself in his own bed. If his captain saw him enter, he didn’t say anything and only watched as one of his vice captains disappeared behind his door, determined to stay there for the remainder of his life.

***

If Langris thought things would just end there, he’d been sadly mistaken. He seemed to have forgotten how ridiculously stubborn the Black Bulls were. 

He was nestled in his bed, not having bothered to change out of his clothes from the night before and face planted into it as soon as he reached his room. With his splitting headache and stomach churning, he surprisingly fell asleep in relative ease. Unfortunately for him, his sleep would be disturbed hours later. Granted, he slept for nearly ten hours before the interruption so…he supposes he should be grateful for that. 

In all honesty, he had no idea if Leopold or Yuno even stayed at the hideout—considering his memory of the evening was a massive blur and the only one awake when he left was Yami, that probably wasn’t all that surprising. Still, as it was his brother’s bachelor party and he was (shockingly) the best man of the wedding, one would suspect that he, at least, would have stayed. They didn’t count on the fact that Langris was just as stubborn—clutching to his pride like a lifeline. 

So when Finral came looking for him, he almost expected him to be pissed that he left without a word. But then again it wasn’t like Finral to get mad… over much of anything really. Regardless, that didn’t mean he had to bring the wind mage with him—goody two shoes Yuno using his magic to blow his door wide open and startling him awake.

As soon as his door was flung open, Langris was quick on his feet, alarm clearly written all over his face. It wasn’t until he saw Finral and Yuno and… Asta?— _What the hell is he doing here?_ —standing there did he finally relax, huffing in mild annoyance.

He calmly smoothed his hair out before crossing his arms to his chest. He knew he looked less than decent but considering he was a drunken mess the night before, he really didn’t think things could get much worse. “What do I owe the pleasure?” He was grateful that he slept so long because his headache was a dull ache at best—he could manage with this. However, he still felt sick to the stomach and he wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up hurling everywhere at some point in the next five minutes. He hadn’t eaten since last night so his stomach was empty… that probably didn’t help matters.

Finral gave his brother a lopsided smile. “We were worried about you.”

Judging by the look on Yuno’s face, he didn’t agree. Langris raised an eyebrow.

Finral quickly corrected himself with an awkward laugh. “Okay, _I_ was worried about you. Yami said you ran out in a hurry this morning.”

Asta was staring at Langris with those wide green eyes; a tad bit unsettling, but what was even more unsettling was that he wasn’t yelling or being his normal loud self. Langris briefly wondered if he was suffering from a bad hangover… and then he pushed the thought away immediately after because he clearly didn’t care about why he was acting weird. 

Langris turned away and straightened his clothes, needing something to do with his hands before clearing his throat into his fist. “There’s no need to worry your pretty little head, brother. I had… things I needed to tend to this morning.” 

“You seem _very busy_ , vice captain.” Yuno said, looking bored and slightly amused… if one could manage an expression like that, it would definitely be Yuno. 

It made Asta chuckle, if nothing else. 

Langris rolled his eyes and cleared his throat again; an action he would immediately regret as acid began to bubble up. He held up a finger. “Hold that thought.” He turned away in a flash, fleeing to his bathroom to empty the contents in his stomach. He really shouldn’t have let himself drink that much—he knew this was going to happen and yet he did it to himself anyways. 

After throwing up, he washed his mouth out and brushed his teeth, grimacing at the foul taste that lingered. He glanced up into his mirror to look at his reflection after spitting into his sink. In doing so, a memory from the night before flashed before his eyes.

***

“See, you guys have it easy,” he said, pointing his index finger at Asta. They were at one of the bars they were hopping around in. There had been a girl, though Langris struggled to actually remember what she looked like, who came up to Asta and openly flirted with him, completely ignoring his companion. Asta hadn’t seemed to pick up on it, however, and she left disappointed. It was endearing, really, how stupidly oblivious that boy could be.

At Asta’s confused face, Langris continued. He wasn’t sure when he’d had Asta’s undivided attention because he sure as hell didn’t remember anyone else around them when this conversation happened. “Girls _like_ you. I don’t think anyone has ever given me half that kind of attention. I mean, that’s probably my fault—I realize I’m not the nicest person.”

Alcohol made him talkative to a dangerous extent. He had a tendency to say too much; things he normally wouldn’t be so open about.

Asta frowned. “What do you mean? Girls like you. Why wouldn't they?”

Langris gave a dismissive wave. “I don’t want girls to like me; that’s part of the problem.”

Asta, confused, leaned forward, eyebrows raised. “I don’t get it. Do you not like— _oh_.”

Langris leaned away—suddenly feeling like they were much too close—creating more distance between the two and looked away. He found an interesting stain on the ceiling. “Forget I said anything; it’s stupid.” He abruptly got up then, his chair screeching against the hardwood floor as he made an attempt at fleeing from the awkward situation he’d just put himself in.

Asta wasn’t having any of it though. “Hey! Wait!” Just as Langris was about to walk away, an arm shot out and pulled him back; an occurrence that would happen more than once that night. 

***

As the memory surfaced, so did more acid and Langris would return to his toilet to dispel the nuisance. 

***

When he finally emerged from the bathroom after brushing his teeth a second time, he was unsurprised to see his company waiting for him.

Finral smirked at him, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “This is why you don’t drink, huh?” 

Langris snorted, briefly catching Asta’s eye before turning away. “Unlike you, I can actually hold my liquor. I just drink… excessively.” He cleared his throat again and placed his hands on his waist. “Now then—brother dearest, what can I do for you? I don’t remember there being a part two to your bachelor party.” 

Finral smiled then; a genuine smile. “Actually, there kind of is.” Langris frowned, his arms falling to his sides. It was like Finral could see the despair and discomfort Langris desperately tried to hide, because he immediately came to reassure him. “Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. You trust me, right?”

Langris looked between Finral and Asta and Yuno a few times before finally settling his gaze back on his brother. Asta still hadn’t spoken a word and Yuno looked as if he would kill him if he said the wrong thing. Finral just looked hopeful.

He groaned. “Fine, but if I get drunk out of my mind again, this is your fault and you better take responsibility for it.” 

Finral just kept that smile on his face, laughing quietly. “I don’t think it’ll come to that.” Oh, but Finral should never underestimate the willpower of Langris Vaude and his desire to escape uncomfortable situations.

***

“Who even has two bachelor parties?” Langris grumbles as he sorts through his clothing, blue eyes squinting as he tries to find something to wear. After Finral and the other two had broken into his room to give him the plan for the evening, he’d not-so-graciously kicked them out so he could get ready. He had a feeling that they were just behind the door, though, because that’s something his annoying older brother would do. Leave it to Finral to make Langris’ life all that more miserable. 

According to Finral, they were going out for a much cleaner—more proper—evening; so bar hopping wasn’t even on the schedule. Langris had a feeling this wasn’t just Finral’s idea though. Of course, Langris didn’t want to outshine his brother on this day, seeing as it was part of the celebration for his upcoming marriage—and since Finral didn’t seem to own anything overly fancy, he had to resort to something much simpler than what he would normally wear. 

In the end, Langris decided on some black slacks and a long sleeve dark blue button up shirt. He had been debating on whether to wear his hooded black and white cloak over it or not but chose to leave it behind in the end. Before leaving his room to join the others, he’d stopped in his bathroom to fix his hair. He no longer resembled the hungover mess he’d been what seemed only moments before. 

Langris left his room finally and was proven right by his earlier assumption—the trio were waiting right outside his bedroom door.

“Don’t you losers have _anything_ better to do?”

Before any of them could respond, a fifth person would join them from the other side of Langris, coming up behind him. Langris didn’t have to read his mana to know who it was, his shoulders tensing. 

“Oh, come now, Langris, don’t be so stiff. I think this outing will be good for you.”

Langris sighed and turned to face his captain who wore a small smile on his face. “No offense, sir, but don’t you think it’s a little _reckless_ of you to allow both of your vice captains out for another night? I could stay and—”

But William Vangeance wasn’t having any of it. He held up his hand and dismissed him immediately. “Reckless, maybe, but I assure you, if either of you are needed, you will be the first to know. However, as it is, you haven’t taken a proper break in months and as your captain, I cannot risk my vice captain having a burnout, which will be inevitable if I continue to let you work yourself exhausted.” Langris wanted to interrupt and disagree, but William didn’t give him the chance. “And as your captain, this is an order. I don’t want to see you back here until tomorrow. Do you understand?”

Langris grimaced and gave a brief nod, lifting his hand in a salute. “Yes, sir.”

His captain smiled at him again—as warm as ever. “Do try and have fun, Langris.” The captain of the Golden Dawn looked up at the others then, as if just now seeing them for the first time. He nodded at them and turned to walk away.

***

“This… is not a bachelor party.” 

Finral smiled brightly at Langris; he looked rather smug if you ask him. 

Langris only glared at him, arms carefully crossed over his chest. He supposes the only good thing is that both Asta and Yuno looked as equally conflicted as he did—clearly, Finral hadn’t let them in on his plan. 

“Look, Langris, you’re my brother and I love you, but…your people skills aren’t exactly… well, they’re a little lacking.” Langris’ stoic expression didn’t change. 

“So you thought, _“hm, what’s a good way to get Langris to talk to people? Oh! I know! Speed dating!”_ is the way to go?” Langris’ arms flailed about, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. “Do you know how idiotic this is? Do you even know how often these things work out? Rarely! No one speed dates successfully!”

Finral holds out his hands in defense, looking a tad uncertain of himself now. “I’m not asking you to _date_ anyone, Langris. It’s just a way to talk to people and you know… learn how to interact without _um_ —” 

“Acting like a snot nosed spoiled brat?” Yuno supplies unhelpfully. 

Langris’ glare shifts towards him immediately.

“Um—not exactly the wording I was going to use.” Finral says, lowering his head a little. “But it isn’t just you doing this, Langris. We’re all going to do it.” Langris shifts his eyes back to Finral then. He looks even more pressed than he had moments before. “And don’t worry! Finesse knows all about it! In fact… this was mostly her idea…”

“I don’t know, guys, I think it’ll be fun.” Asta, for the first time, chirps in. In all honesty, with how unusually quiet he’d been so far, Langris almost forgot he was there. Langris blinks at him. “It’s only a two hour thing—then we can go do whatever, right, Finral?” Finral nods. “See? What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

Langris purses his lips. 

“Is there alcohol?”

Finral nods, grimacing. 

“Okay, fine.” Langris glances back at Asta with a thoughtful look on his face. “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” 

***

As it turns out, there’s a number of things that could happen. For one, it appeared as though Vanessa was the one who had arranged the speed dating event—something that Finral had “forgotten” to mention. For two, it appeared as though Vanessa had dragged Noelle and Mimosa to the event—something Vanessa had clearly left out because both Asta and Finral’s faces paled. For three—which is probably the biggest and most notably worst thing that could possibly happen—it seemed like Noelle was actually there with someone. Granted it was a speed dating event, but “dating” was a term used very loosely. As Finral had mentioned, it was a way for people to get to know each other—not just date—and you could even come in pairs, if you so choose. Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean you couldn’t be there for dating even if you came in a pair; Finral had to explain to Asta that polyamorous relationships were a thing, but Langris wasn’t so sure if that helped matters or not.

“Hello, everyone! If you’re new here or you don’t know, my name is Vanessa, and this is called speed dating. The rules are simple: if you are sat on the outside, you will remain seated while the people who are sat on the inside will move to sit with each of you. You have ten minutes to talk and to get to know each other before you move to the next table. After the first hour, some of you will swap places and do the same thing. This rule still applies to you even if you came with someone. Drinks will be serviced to you at every turn. It’s completely up to you if you drink it or not, of course. Remember: this is just for fun. Be nice to each other or you will be asked to leave.” 

She had continued, but Langris had zoned her out. Langris was placed on the inside this round, as was Asta, while Yuno and Finral were on the outside. The person he’d been paired up with to start was a girl who had purple hair and a bubbly expression. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night. 

“Hi! I’m Amara!” She said as soon as the timer started.

Langris sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Langris.” 

Her smile faltered a little at his expression, but she clearly wasn’t going to let his foul mood ruin her night. “Did your friends force you into coming, too?” She nodded towards where she had apparently seen them talking earlier. 

“The tall one in green is my brother,” he told her after a long moment. “And they’re not my friends.”

“Oh,” she said with a frown.

They fell silent as Langris looked away; praying for the timer to just go off so he could leave already. There probably wasn’t anything wrong with this girl…Langris just didn’t want to be there.

“Oh! The drinks are here!” She said suddenly, stirring him from his thoughts.

He took his shot as soon as it hit the table and downed it. Moments later, the timer (finally) went off and he moved to the next table.

Unfortunately, not much changed as he continued moving from table to table. The last round of the first meeting was, thankfully, between he and his brother. Finral was, of course, disappointed when Langris showed no signs of having fun. At least he was experiencing a pleasant buzz at this point. However, it did seem as though Asta was having a good time. He was back to being his loud, obnoxious self. Of course, he hadn’t encountered Noelle and the boy she’d tagged along with; things might not go so smooth if that happens. Yuno, on the other hand, looked as if he were having just as miserable of an experience as Langris was. He looked bored.

Langris snorted and just like that people were being switched around to begin the second round. Langris unfortunately didn’t get to sit on the outside—but at least Finral would be joining him on this side while Asta and Yuno were on the other.

Fate has a funny way of playing games sometimes ( _an ironic statement considering Vanessa can control fate_ ).

Vanessa had clearly avoided putting Asta with Noelle and the boy she was with because she had players switch around moments before they were to sit with him. Instead of Noelle and the boy, Langris had taken their place—he was uncertain of how he ended up there, but he had a feeling Finral also had a role to play in that. Or maybe Langris was just teetering the line between pleasantly buzzed and blackout drunk. Whatever.

Once the timer began, Langris found himself leaning on his arm with his head in the palm of his hand. He was somewhat loopy.

“I thought Finral was going to give me a babysitter—” He held up his glass for emphasis, eyebrows raised as ocean eyes crossed trying to focus.

Up until that moment, Asta’s attention hadn’t been on Langris—something alcohol-driven Langris didn’t like, apparently—he’d been staring over at Noelle the whole time. It wasn’t until Langris began to speak did his attention divert; an almost fond looking expression gracing his features. 

_Oh no, he’s pretty,_ his brain supplied. 

Langris blinked; wondering where that came from before expelling the thought immediately.

“I don’t think he realized Vanessa— _an alcoholic_ —would give out shots every ten minutes,” Asta began as he leaned forward and carefully took the glass out of Langris’ hand. “But I think you’ve had enough.”

Langris, horrifying himself, let out an ungodly whine, his hand falling to the table pathetically. “Aren’t you the guy who’s always shouting ‘I’m not done yet’? Give it back!” 

He sounded like a child—Langris was behaving, very much, like a child. To prove this even further, his lips pursed into the makings of a pout. 

Asta just laughed at him. “Yeah, see, as much as I’m about surpassing your limits, I don’t think your captain would be so forgiving if we returned his vice captain drunk out of his mind… _again_.”

Langris groaned and let his head fall back. “You’re no fun.” He paused, lifting his head again. “And I wasn’t drunk out of my mind.” Though he had admitted as much earlier in the evening; using those exact words even.

Asta raised an eyebrow, placing his hands on the table as he used them to pull himself forwards, leaning in much closer to Langris then what he’d been expecting. “Do you even remember anything from last night?” 

A blush appeared just as suddenly and Langris averted his eyes. 

His response (or lack thereof) seemed to please Asta as he leaned back in his seat. After a few moments of silence, Asta spoke again. “Who do you think that guy is?”

It took Langris a long moment to realize who he’d been talking about before realizing Asta was looking at Noelle and the guy she came with again. He shrugged. “Don’t let it bother you, Asta. He’s pretty, but he’s not very smart.” 

Asta stares at him; his mouth dripping into an ‘o’ shape. 

Langris blinks. “What? I talked to them a little bit—he didn’t even recognize me and I’m the vice captain of the Golden Dawn!” 

Asta smiled a little. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use my name before.” Langris blinks again and quickly realizes that he’s right. He was kind of embarrassed by that fact, honestly. 

And then Asta ruins it. 

“Wow, I can’t believe the vice captain of the Golden Dawn actually remembered my name!” He yells, standing up on the table with his arms pumped forward. “Hey! Everyone! The vice captain of the Golden Dawn remembered my name!” 

Langris groans and makes a grab for his leg. “Get down! You’re an idiot!” He hisses, pulling at his leg. In his attempt at getting Asta to sit back down, he hadn’t quite expected for the Black Bull to lose his footing. The clumsy idiot (not at all because Langris was pulling at his leg or anything—this is completely Asta’s fault) stumbles and falls forward—right into Langris and abruptly causing them both to fall backwards onto the floor. 

If no one was looking at them before, they sure were now.

Langris is certain that people were laughing while some (probably just Finral, honestly) worried about their safety. Meanwhile, Langris’ vision doubled as he looked up at the two Astas staring down at him with a baffled and embarrassed expression.

“Oh, man! Langris, are you okay? Did I hurt you? I am so sorry!” 

Langris blinked his eyes a few times, seemingly dazed, as he tried to focus. Still, two Astas remained. He lifted his head a little, squinting at them. “It’s cute that you’re worried about me and all, but I think I can only handle one of you, so if you could just… go back to that, that would be great.” Langris let his head fall back onto the floor while Asta stared at him with open confusion. 

The rest of the night occurs in a blur. Langris isn’t one hundred percent certain if he hallucinated the whole thing or not but he’s almost positive he made Asta blush at some point. All he really remembers is looking at him and seeing that blush on chiseled cheeks and thinking _‘hm, how interesting’_. He doesn’t remember much else—whether that’s because he received a concussion from hitting the floor with a heavy weight sitting on his chest or just because he blacked out from all the alcohol he consumed, he wasn’t sure. 

However, one thing he does remember hearing was a conversation between what Langris assumed was Asta and Yuno:

_“Do you think Captain Vangeance will kill me?”_

_“Hm, yeah… probably.”_

_“Oh, man…”_

Langris had, of course, wondered what that conversation had been about but sleep had stolen him before he could reach for context.

Or maybe he dreamed the whole thing or even some weird hallucination thing—who knows?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Chapter two! I've been working on this for the past four days and have changed and added things I thought would make it more fun and the best way to torture poor Langris as well. I did want to bring up more of Langris' struggle in dealing with his emotions on top of how he interacts with people so I thought forcing him into a "speed dating" type environment would be a good way of showcasing that. Also!! I do want to apologize if Asta seems a little out of character, which is something I fear started happening here. However, everyone deals with heart ache in different ways. :)


	3. 5 Days before the Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I do believe it's time Langris starts to listen to his own heart instead of what everyone else wants."
> 
> In which, Langris realizes he's not perfect and maybe... just maybe, he starts to realize that's okay.

When Langris awoke, he found himself in a rather strange environment. Well, okay, it wasn’t strange in a way that would alarm someone too much—he was still in the Black Bulls hideout, so there were no immediate red flags. It wasn’t until he turned over to curl further into the depths of sleep did he realize why this was strange. 

He was curled up in someone’s bed with a heavy blanket wrapped around him. The only reason he knew this was someone’s bed and not just a guest room, was the fact that there was a Black Bulls robe thrown carelessly across a chair that was half pulled out from the desk it most likely partnered with. 

However, there was no one sleeping next to (or even near) Langris so alarm bells still weren’t quite ringing. He slowly sat up from the bed, uncurling himself from the warmth and comfort his body screamed for as he looked around the room, trying to decide whose room he was inhabiting. It was still dark outside, the large window overlooking him proved as much as the moon was high in the sky, casting its light as a guide.

Just looking around the room from the bed wasn’t enough to put it together and now that Langris’ attention was placed on this mystery, he knew he’d never get back to sleep with it haunting him. So, he carefully pulled himself from the bed, placing naked feet on the cool floor. He paused momentarily, glancing around until he found what he’d been looking for—his shoes and socks were nestled carefully in the corner with a pile that he could only assume were the rest of his clothes. He glanced down briefly at himself and was proven correct when he’d come to conclusion that he was wearing someone else’s pajamas. 

This was the moment the alarm bells started singing in his ears. 

The pajamas in question were just a little big on him—a little worn, not quite like the silky pajamas that he preferred back at the Golden Dawn, but they were rather comfortable, so he wasn’t about to make any complaints. 

Shaking his head, he finally pulled himself out of bed and walked over to the desk as he wrapped his arms securely around himself. He was a little cold now that he was out of bed. Once he got to the desk, he found papers scattered all across it. He knew he shouldn’t snoop but… he wasn’t going to get any answers without doing so. He’d let the guilt eat at him later. He picked up one of the many papers on the desk with what he could only describe as chicken scratch written across it. He stood there, trying to decipher what was printed on the paper, until he got the answer he’d been looking for: a name written sloppily at the bottom of the page.

 _Asta_.

“Oh.” He slowly placed the paper back onto the desk and glanced out the window. He briefly wondered if he could get away with escaping the hideout again—but then he remembered his captain’s words and made his way back to the bed with slumped shoulders. On his way back, he stumbled over a pair of shoes and glared at them as if they had done him wrong. 

He kicked the shoes away and flopped back into the bed of whom he now knew belonged. He chose to ignore this little detail and nestled comfortably back into bed. He would deal with it tomorrow and began to fall back asleep, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling brewing in his chest. Maybe he would deal with that tomorrow, too. 

(Or not—perhaps he wouldn’t deal with that at all.)

***

The next time Langris woke up, the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the room in all its glory, but it was the smell of greasy breakfast that truly stirred him from his slumber. As he sat up in the bed he’d slept so peacefully in, he couldn’t help but realize he wasn’t suffering nearly as bad as he had the night before. This realization caused him to pause, blanket curled up over his lap as he pondered why this was. Did he do something different last night that resulted in a lesser hangover? He was almost certain he’d drank just as much as he had before—but then a memory of that night flickered before his eyes.

***

It had happened sometime after they arrived back at the Black Bulls hideout. Langris wasn’t so sure what events had transpired exactly but he does remember shoving Asta out of the way to avoid throwing up all over him. Apparently, the idiot had been helping Langris because he briefly remembers having to lean against him for support. The realization of this makes his cheeks burn. He hadn’t quite made it to the bathroom (he forgot that the Black Bulls hideout liked to change so he got confused very, very quickly) so that resulted in him throwing up in the hallway. Needless to say, Captain Yami wasn’t very happy—well, actually, he gave conflicting reactions because he laughed at first and then he grabbed Langris and told him if he didn’t clean it up, he’d murder him. Langris doesn’t actually remember if he managed to do that or what, but obviously someone had as he was still alive.

However, at some point Asta had collected him from… wherever Langris had wondered off to and brought him to Vanessa, who had, apparently, a special mix for hangovers. _That would… make sense_. He remembers it tasting like shit, but he’s pretty sure he drank it all. He’d still been helplessly drunk though—something he probably wasn’t going to live down any time soon—and the next thing he knew, he awoke in Asta’s room. Everything else remained a mystery.

***

Langris hummed in thought as he finally got out of bed. He could hear commotion from what he suspected was the dining room. From what he’d heard, Charmy was an excellent cook and mealtime was always an experience.

His stomach rumbled viciously at the thought of food. He looked around, completely prepared to put his clothes on from the previous night, but when he went to grab them, he found that his clothes were no longer where he’d seen them. Confusion was clear on Langris’ face as he cocked his head to the side and placed his hands on his hips.

Okay, either someone was playing a sick joke on him… or he hadn’t actually seen them last night at all. He didn’t like the idea of either, however, and sighed in contempt. 

_Well, I guess these will have to do_ , he thought to himself as he glanced down at the pajamas that were much bigger than he’d originally thought. While he and Asta were roughly the same height, the kid had some ridiculous muscles and it was obvious that Langris’ body wasn’t nearly as toned considering the fact that his pajamas enveloped him. He almost resembled a child trying on his father’s clothes. _Almost_.

He sighed again and dropped his arms to his sides. He would just have to deal with it for the time being. If he waited to eat any longer, he’s almost certain that his stomach would just start eating itself. 

When he finally made his way out to the dining area, he found the room to be in utter chaos. Magna and Luck(?) weren’t sat at the table but they were in close enough proximity that when a stray fireball flung itself in Langris’ direction, he was nearly caught off guard. Fortunately, he’d been quick enough to use his own magic to completely evaporate it before it could hit him. 

It was, apparently, at this moment that everyone realized he’d finally come to join them for breakfast.

Luck, as eager as always, was right in front of him first, bouncing on his heels. “Wow! That was awesome! Do you want to fight me next?” 

Langris opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Magna.

“No way, you maniac! I didn’t even ask to be attacked this morning! I just want to eat breakfast!” 

Luck laughed and probably said something in response, but Langris chose to ignore them and pushed past the two men as they continued to squabble. Langris would definitely not be getting involved in that any time soon. 

“Well, good morning, sleeping beauty.” Captain Yami’s eyes were on Langris as he exhaled smoke from his lips. “You don’t look half dead this time.” 

Langris glared at him briefly before Vanessa chose to cut in: “That’s because of my special hangover smoothie I forced down his throat last night.” She was all smiles and held up a glass in greeting. “We really should have a drinking contest one of these nights.” She winked at him—making Langris somewhat uncomfortable so he chose to ignore it and fiddled with the buttons on the pajamas he wore to avoid reacting. 

“I bet you’re hungry!” Charmy yelled from the other side of the room. “Sit down and I’ll get you full in no time!” 

Langris glanced up at her then but before he had a chance to respond— _seriously, the Black Bulls are so rude_ —someone grabbed his arm and began to pull him forward. He almost pulled away, only to realize that it was Finral and not one of the other maniacs in the room. 

He relaxed immediately and let his brother lead him to his chair. He was smiling, but he didn’t say anything until Langris was sat down—right between himself and Asta.

“You know, I thought Asta’s pajamas would fit you better than this.”

Langris snorted, fighting back a blush that desperately wanted to blossom against pale cheeks. He cleared his throat before finally getting a chance to speak. “I think Asta is a little… bulkier than I am.” While Langris did work out every once in a while, he didn’t have a set workout schedule and clearly had no intentions of setting one. 

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. You do look cute though!” Before Langris had a chance to object, Finral leaned forward and pinched his cheeks. 

Langris growled and shoved Finral’s hands away; his blush now even more prominent. “This is why I’m the favorite child,” he deadpanned.

Finral laughed and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’ll stop.” 

Langris smiled brightly before turning towards Asta. “So… was it your idea or Finral’s to let me sleep in your bed?” Asta had been looking at him—and then abruptly looked away. Langris nodded, his smile turned more genuine. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. I’d have made my brother sleep on the floor.” 

Asta laughed at that and shook his head as his attention was now back on Langris. There was a twinge of pink on his ears. Langris decided he liked the way he looked just then, but he shoved that thought away just as quickly as it had come. He really didn’t need thoughts like these plaguing him. It would only lead to trouble.

“Look…Finral thought you would fit more in my pajamas than anyone else’s, so we took you back to my room to get you changed and—you fell asleep on my bed within like… five minutes. I didn’t want to wake you so… I figured we’d leave you there.” He refused to meet Langris’ gaze as the pink on his ears began to spread down towards his neck. It sure was a sight to behold. Langris was pleased at being the reason for it.

And okay, sure, four years ago, Langris would have stuck his nose up at the sight of Asta. In fact, he’s more than certain that he had. Four years ago, he was also certain that he’d laughed at Yuno’s face when he told him that he and Asta were rivals—to be the wizard king, no less. But looking at Asta now? There was a part of him that still wanted to deny it, but in truth, there really was no denying it—he was finally starting to see what everyone else saw.

The realization of this had him ducking his head and glancing away as an unfamiliar, warm feeling began to swell in the pit of his stomach.

“Well… thanks, I guess.” He responded, allowing his words to slash through the awkwardness that filled the air.

He could feel Finral’s eyes on him, but he chose to ignore him (he really didn’t want to deal with whatever was on his brother’s mind) and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

***

Breakfast continued without another awkward conversation and without anymore blushing (thank the gods) but if Langris thought it wasn’t about to get even more interesting… well, perhaps he really didn’t know the Black Bulls after all.

Most of the Black Bulls had finished breakfast by the time Noelle made her way to the table. The moment her eyes laid on Langris, the room seemed to get way more tense; even more so than with the playful fighting between Magna and Luck. 

“Oh, he’s here still.”

_Wow, cold—she couldn’t even address me, huh?_

Langris, having been caught off guard while taking a drink, slowly lowered his glass and gulped down the remainder of his juice. He opened his mouth to defend himself (though he’s not quite sure what he’d be defending himself from) but Asta beat him to the punch. 

“Don’t be rude, Noelle. We all know you’re not a morning person, but Langris is a guest and we should treat him with respect.”

It was like the room turned ice cold the moment those words left Asta’s lips and suddenly Langris no longer wanted to be there. 

He realized then—no one actually knew why Asta and Noelle broke up to begin with, or at least, Langris didn’t. He wasn’t that close to the Black Bulls and if Yuno knew, he definitely wasn’t going to share that information, because it wasn’t his to share (and also because Yuno and Langris weren’t exactly close). And sitting between them, blue eyes watching the fire ignite in Noelle’s eyes, he could tell that there was still some unresolved emotions that he really didn’t want to get in the middle of. 

“Oh, so we’re going to forget that he tried to kill his brother—and _you_?” 

Langris flinched. 

The night before, when he’d talked to Noelle and the boy she’d been with—there had been no animosity between them. But perhaps that was just Noelle putting up a front for everyone else or… perhaps this time it wasn’t about Finral. The last two nights had been about strengthening bonds between the men in Finral’s life—preparing for his big day. But right now? Right now, this very clearly wasn’t about Finral. 

And it wasn’t even about Langris, not really.

This was all about Asta.

_She still loves him and instead of acting out towards him, she’s lashing out at me. And him defending me isn’t making this any easier on her._

Langris slid his chair out from under the table and got to his feet. He gave his front a quick wipe down before turning his attention towards Noelle. He was going to be nice. He wasn’t going to make things worse—for both of their sakes. 

“I get it, Noelle.” He could hear both Finral and Asta shifting beside him and he held up his hand to halt them in their tracks. “I have done bad things, whether I was possessed or under the influence, that doesn’t matter. I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes and I’m not here to invade anyone’s territory—” He definitely doesn’t miss the way her eyes trail across his body; clearly noticing that he’s wearing Asta’s pajamas. “I’m here for my brother. He’s the only one I care about and he’s the only one I will ever care about.”

He doesn’t understand why those words stuck in his throat. He’s also not sure why he struggles to continue forward, clearing his throat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time I get going. I have to take care of some things.” He brushes past her and heads back to where he’d seen Captain Yami disappear to awhile back; he figured if anyone knew where his clothes would be, it would (hopefully) be the Black Bulls captain. 

Langris didn’t look behind him as he walked away, his head held high in false pretense. If he had, perhaps he’d have noticed the heart broken look that followed him.

***

It took some time, but he was finally able to locate his clothes. Apparently, while he’d been sleeping, someone (Asta) had come and snatched his clothes to clean. They were hanging on the line when Langris collected them. He returned to Asta’s room to get dressed… because he didn’t know where else to go. He made sure to clean up the Black Bull’s room before leaving (he made his bed and put all his dirty clothes in the hamper and made sure to put his shoes away from the bed so no one else tripped on them). Just as he was about to leave the room, he noted the small bird nest chilling on the windowsill, but didn’t think much of it. There were some things about the Black Bulls that Langris was certain he would never understand.

Finral met him outside of Asta’s room when he emerged. He had his arms folded over his chest and gave Langris a look that only a disappointed older brother could wear.

“What?” 

“Oh, I don’t know, Mister I-don’t-care-about-anyone.” 

Langris sighed and attempted to push past his brother. “I’m not getting involved in anyone’s petty drama.” 

Finral stopped him by grabbing his arm. “So you’re going to create your own?”

Langris groaned and turned around to face him. “I don’t know what you want from me, Finral.”

Finral leaned close, pointing an accusing finger at his little brother and poking him in the chest. “I want you to start taking responsibility for your feelings, Langris. You’re not a child anymore.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Langris was trying to keep a cool head, but his brother really was pushing it. 

“I’m not the only person here who cares about you, Langris. You’re just too stubborn to see that.”

Langris snorted and turned away again, eyes rolling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

In his peripheral vision, Langris could see Finral throw his arms up in disbelief. It would have been funny if Finral wasn’t so serious. Maybe Langris could revisit the conversation later and laugh about it. “You need to stop running away! That’s all you ever do!”

This time, Langris didn’t hold back his frustration; a ball of spatial magic clutched between tight fingers. “And where do you think I learned that from? You’re the one that left, Finral! Or did you forget that part already?” 

Finral flinched and looked away, guilt suddenly succumbing his presence. “Langris…” 

Langris shook his head and it was at that moment that he chose to walk away.

“I’m not running away from anything, Finral. There’s nothing for me to run away from.”

_That… felt like a lie. Why did that feel like a lie?_

***

When Langris returned to the Golden Dawn headquarters, he went in with fierce determination. He arrived back to his bedroom and changed his clothes. There were a few things he wanted to take care of before the day was through.

First, he visited Yuno. 

“I want you to be the vice captain.” 

To say Yuno was surprised would be an understatement. Then again, it was hard telling with the wind mage. He was harder to read than even Langris. 

“I mean—we’re co-vice captains.” He blinked slowly, amber eyes glistening with curiosity. 

Langris shook his head. “No, I mean… I want you to be _the_ vice captain. I’m resigning my position.”

Finally, Yuno showed a sign of surprise and shock. “What? Vice Captain—is something going on?” He looked slightly suspicious, but then again he’s sure he always has. 

Langris waved him off. “Nothing is going on. I’m just rethinking my priorities and what’s right for the magic knights and the Clover kingdom.” He doesn’t give Yuno a chance to respond before he turns and walks away. 

Secondly, he finds Captain William Vangeance. 

“So… you’re resigning? Do you want to give me a reason why?” 

Langris shifts awkwardly, eyes glancing at the floor. He’d been more nervous about this than he thought he would be. “I just think… the team would benefit more with Yuno as the vice captain.”

William, who had long since discarded his mask, turned soft eyes on his magic knight. “If that’s how you truly feel—I’m sure we’ll find something suitable for you to do.” Despite his words, there was concern laced in his tone that told Langris that if something were truly wrong, he could talk to him. Langris, of course, already knew that.

“Thank you, sir.” He smiled briefly and waved at him as he turned to leave. 

There are just some things words cannot even begin to explain.

***

The last thing Langris had decided to do before the day was done was return home to the Vaude household. This was the hardest thing he would ever do, he’s almost certain of that, but it had been the right choice. Except this conversation… this was one he didn’t feel like reliving.

 _“You gave up your title to that peasant!? But you were on your way to be the next captain!”_

_“Father, there are things more important than status.”_

_“We just allowed Finral to marry Finesse because of you and now you’re doing this? Finral is now higher ranked than you!”_

_“I guess you know who the heir should be, then. The gods know he deserves it more than I ever have.”_

***

Finral had told him to stop running and that’s what he did. He stopped pretending like he deserved everything he had. While his captain’s intentions had been pure, he couldn’t say the same about his parents—he’s pretty sure he’d been granted the next heir of the House of Vaude just to spite his brother. He was tired of fighting to be perfect in everyone’s eyes; he realized it just wasn’t realistic.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that it broke his heart anyway. 

And, of course, it shouldn’t have surprised him that the moment he’d retracted his status, his brother would be contacted immediately. Because the moment he returned back to the Golden Dawn headquarters, there Finral was standing with Captain Vangeance at his side. They were talking and either hadn’t noticed Langris had returned or pretended not to. Langris chooses to make sure they don’t and hides around the corner, peaking his head to listen in.

“Yes, that does worry me a bit. I knew he’d been harboring guilt for a while and chose to overwork himself to atone for it, but I hadn’t quite anticipated this.”

“Do you think I pushed him too far?”

Even from the distance where Langris stood, he could see the gentle smile on his captain’s face.

“No, Finral, I don’t think you pushed him too far. In fact, I think he just might be taking your advice. I do believe it’s time Langris starts to listen to his own heart instead of what everyone else wants.” 

Langris could swear that Captain Vangeance had looked in his direction when he said this, but it could have been a trick of the light. Either way, Langris didn’t stick around to find out and headed to his room.

For the first time in a long time, Langris fell to sleep without the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt like he could do anything. But his dreams were plagued with a familiar presence—green eyes that put emeralds to shame and a sunshine smile that brightened even the darkest of days; a stark reminder that perhaps he wasn’t quite done yet, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things I wanted to bring up:
> 
> 1\. Does Asta already have feelings for Langris? To put it simply, the fic starts with him harboring a small crush on Langris. If you recall, Langris has been spending more time with the Black Bulls prior to the week before the wedding. That being said, Noelle and Asta have been broken up for a while. But Langris isn't the reason for that. It will be explained in the future.
> 
> 2\. I said I'm not caught up with the anime or manga and this is true!! However, I have been informed of the latest episode so I'm aware of what Langris does. I decided to incorporate that in my fic and it's actually going to be crucial to the plot. While this seems out of the blue, that will be explained eventually as well. There's a reason it happens when it does and it'll all come to light very, very soon.
> 
> 3\. I can't stop thinking about how well "I won't say I'm in love" from Hercules fits Langris in my fic and now I'm going to put that in everyone else's minds now. Langris is very, very stubborn. And even though it's obvious he's starting to develop feelings for Asta, he's going to refuse them until he's forced to admit them.
> 
> 4\. Finral knows. Of course Finral knows. :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed <3 this one took me a bit longer because I haven't had as much time to write and I was stuck on a particular scene for a while. I finally decided to just redo the whole thing and so this is where it's at. I'm rather happy with the end result and I hope you are, too. :)


	4. 4 Days before the Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Langris comes to terms with his feelings, but it's a difficult process. It's a good thing his brother and his squad have his best interests at heart, right? How else would Langris deal with his feelings? Certainly not without a shove.

Langris had no intentions of doing much the following day. In fact, he probably would have laid in bed and stared up at the arching ceiling all morning if he could. Still, his dreams remained at the forefront of his mind and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape them. Every time he closed his eyes, those piercing green eyes stared back at him. 

“No,” he said in frustration, blue eyes flinging open in annoyance as he sat up in bed, arms folding across his chest. “This will not do.” He then placed his head in his hands and let out a muffled scream.

“ _Um_ —M-mister Vaude? Are you okay?”

“Really, Mimosa, you don’t need to be so formal.”   
Slowly, Langris lifted his head and looked up where he could see two familiar faces peaking in at him from his bedroom door.

Mimosa Vermillion and Klaus Lunettes.

Langris blinked and felt his skin heat up in embarrassment. How long had they been standing there? He cleared his throat and ripped his blanket off as he climbed out of bed.

“I’m fine,” he told them as he offered a smile in return. “What can I do for you?”

Mimosa looks nervous, he realizes then, as the girl shifts awkwardly on her feet. Klaus has a similar aura about him and it’s then that he realizes that neither of them knows how to actually address him now that he’s no longer the vice captain. He blinks slowly. He hadn’t thought about how everyone was going to handle the news and he’s more than certain that everyone knew by now that Langris Vaude had handed in his resignation to the captain the day before. The Golden Dawn may be increasing in numbers, but that didn’t mean word didn’t spread fast. It probably hadn’t helped that Langris’ own brother showed up at some point in the night. He wonders what rumors were being spread now. 

He decides he doesn’t want to know.

“Well, Yuno suggested—” Mimosa is cut off by Klaus clearing his throat at her. She corrects herself, looking away in embarrassment. “I mean, _Vice Captain_ Yuno suggested that—um, we spend the day in the capital.”

None of them misses the flinch that Langris tried very hard to suppress. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this was by his own doing, there are just some things that are going to sting no matter what. 

“And… _Vice Captain Yuno_ suggested you… take me with you?” He finishes with a raised eyebrow. Why does Yuno suddenly care so much about what Langris does? He was more than certain that the younger would continue to ignore him, even more so now than he had before. It seems he was wrong. 

Klaus clears his throat again and shifts his glasses upwards. “It would seem so.” He pauses and gives Langris a once over. “It also… appears as though the captain is worried about you.”

Langris snorts and turns away, heading towards his closet. “Well, I can assure you there’s no reason for that. I know exactly what I’m doing.” He grabs for his uniform before throwing a glance back towards them. “Are you going to watch me change or may I get some privacy?”

He pretends he doesn’t notice both of their flushed faces as they duck away, apologizing all over each other. It makes him smile, really; something he hadn’t expected, but he had found the interaction rather endearing. He felt such a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders after he freed himself of all that was weighing him down. He hadn’t quite realized just how much it had been affecting him until recently. He had thought that after he’d regained trust in the kingdom after his “unconscious betrayal” the burden wouldn’t be so heavy, but it appeared as though Langris had been wrong. He’d been lying to himself and forced himself further and further into this dark pit of despair where he saw no end. But then… something happened that he hadn’t expected. Light finally appeared and brought him from the never-ending, overwhelming darkness that attempted to swallow him whole. 

He hadn’t realized what the affect had truly done to him until drinking became an escape and work became the only thing he knew. He’d only get away from it all when Finral managed to pull him from whatever activity he’d been set on—if it weren’t for Finral, Langris is certain he would have either worked himself to death or drank himself to death; neither being ideal or “noble worthy”. 

“I really need to stop drinking,” he said to himself as he changed into his clothes. 

Thinking about this only reminded him of one other thing—if it hadn’t been for the Black Bulls, neither Langris nor Finral would be here. _If it hadn’t been for Asta…_

He shakes those thoughts from his brain and groans. He already knows what’s happening. Now that he’s sober and has a clear head, he’s very aware of what is taking place inside his heart… and he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like it one bit.

***

“Now, are you going to tell me what all of this is about or do I have to guess?” He’d thought that once they arrived at the capital, Mimosa and Klaus would break and tell him what exactly is going on, but they’ve done no such thing as of yet.

Mimosa looks nervous, refusing to meet Langris’ eyes. Klaus, on the other hand, held a stone face and gave way to no emotion. It was frustrating to say at the least.

“Mimosa.” He knew he wouldn’t be able to break Klaus as easily, but Mimosa was a different story. He turned towards her, his hands placed gently upon his hips. “I may not be vice captain anymore, but I am still your superior. I think I have the right to know—”

A very familiar laugh is heard, fast approaching, and the sound of it nearly knocks the wind out of him.

Eyebrows raise as he turns his attention to the sound and— _yep_ , just as he’d suspected. He may not have spent as much time with the Black Bull as his companions, but he knew Asta when he heard him. There was no mistaking him—it was damn near impossible.

His stomach somersaulted. He turned away immediately, feeling a raw blush beginning to rise. Why? Oh, why had the gods done this to him? What did Langris do wrong to deserve this? 

“Oh. Langris, what’s wrong? Are you not well?” Mimosa’s voice drew him out of his thoughts and he turned his attention back towards her. He openly gawked at her as he struggled to form a coherent sentence. 

“I’m—” He was interrupted as Klaus called towards Asta and went to greet him. Langris watched him, unable to do much else as his arms fell to his side limply. Langris was becoming increasingly frustrated with the way Asta seemed to be infiltrating his everyday life. Was it not enough for him to be there every time Langris went to see his brother? Now, here he was, clearly having been invited without so much as a warning to Langris. He wondered if this was his captain’s doing or even his brother’s— _or was it Yuno’s?_

“Langris?” Mimosa’s voice broke through again and he found himself tearing his gaze away from the other two. He barely just seemed to catch Asta’s eye before turning back towards Mimosa.

“I’m—I think…” Seeming to understand his struggle, Mimosa signaled for him to wait as she walked towards the pair now within hearing distance as they neared (then again, you can always hear Asta—he really doesn’t know how to be quiet). They halted when Mimosa reached them. 

Mimosa spoke with them in a hushed tone and once the other two started walking away (Langris noticed a confused look on Asta’s face and couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face at the ridiculousness of it) she came back to him. “Okay, Mister Vaude. Let’s talk.” 

Langris blinked at her multiple times before her words finally sunk in. “Talk… about what?” She doesn’t miss the way his eyes kept trailing after Asta and Klaus. 

She smiled. “I know everyone thinks I’m a bit of an airhead; that I’m not smart.” Langris forces his gaze away to give her his full attention, not really understanding where this conversation is going. “But I know that look when I see it.” He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to continue. “Denying it isn’t going to help, Langris. It’s written all over your face.”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, though he’s not sure he needed to. He doesn’t think there’s any mistaking it. 

Mimosa just continued to smile, her eyes glistening in a peculiar light as she turned to watch the retreating backs of Asta and Klaus. Langris mimicked her. “Noelle used to look at him that way, too.” 

His stomach somersaulted a second time. Langris felt heat rising, lighting up a brilliant flame across his face. He’d only just realized his feelings the night before; something his brain immediately tried to shut down, but his heart wasn’t having it. The worst part wasn’t even that she knew and it wasn’t even that it only took her moments to put it together; the worst part was that he’s now certain that she isn’t the only one. 

“Langris?” She questioned, drawing him from his thoughts as he blinked rapidly at her. “It’s okay, you know.” Her voice was kind, soft, just as the expression she wore. She felt warm. He thought for a moment that perhaps, in another life, he could have possibly grown to like her the way that his heart had inevitably chosen Asta. The same could have been said for Finesse, too. But in this life… in this life, his heart yearned for something else— _someone else_. 

Langris sighed. A part of him wanted to turn a cold shoulder; to continue to push her and everyone else away. But he’d learned a lot about himself in the last few days—granted he’d been drunk a large portion of the time, yet the time he’d spent with the Black Bulls had finally kickstarted things that had already long been set in motion. Langris had spent a long time being cynical, being angry, and trying to be what everyone else wanted, he never considered what he wanted and being with his brother, being with the Black Bulls… they showed him how to live a life he didn’t have to be guilty of. 

Slowly but surely, they began to melt the icicles embedded within his heart.

And then… Langris smiled. “Yeah… I know.”

***

When Mimosa and Langris finally met up with Klaus and Asta, the second Asta saw Langris, he yelled at him.

“Hey! Asshole! You can’t just leave without saying goodbye!”

Langris tried to suppress his grin and failed miserably. “I had things to take care of; I don’t owe you anything.” 

Asta gawked at him. “What! You can’t just do that after you slept in my bed! And in my clothes!” Langris had been informed that Asta was rather oblivious, so he clearly hadn’t thought through his words that he yelled for the whole world to hear. 

Langris felt heat rising up again and he immediately slapped a hand over Asta’s mouth. People were staring and, of course, it wouldn’t take long for anyone to realize who they were. Asta was going to make people _think things_ and that’s just not a rumor they needed right now. “You’re an idiot and you shouldn’t just yell things like that—we’re in public, you moron.”

Judging by the awkward tension between Klaus and Mimosa, they clearly hadn’t expected that outburst, either. 

Langris removed his hand from Asta’s mouth, suddenly feeling very self conscious about his actions and wiped his hand down his robe. He cleared his throat. “And anyway, I cleaned your room before I left… so you’re welcome.” He couldn’t handle meeting Asta’s eyes and looked away. He was becoming increasingly annoyed with his own behavior—becoming more self aware of the way his stomach flips whenever Asta so much as looks in his direction. He’s decided that discovering he had feelings for the muscle-head was nothing short of infuriating. 

Asta gave him a curious look. “Yeah, okay, sure—but you still didn’t say goodbye.” And then Asta punched his arm, immediately drawing Langris’ attention. While he knows Asta hadn’t used nearly half the strength any normal punch the guy could throw, it still hurt like hell and Langris’ other arm flew to protect it from further injury. 

“It’s rude to hit a vice—” Langris cut himself off abruptly and decided on a glare instead. “What was that for?” 

“That! Was for saying you didn’t care about anyone! That really hurt! Why would you say something like that? Was it because of Noelle? She’s just uppity because…!!” Langris stopped listening. 

_Man, Asta really doesn’t know how to stop yelling, does he?_ Langris blinks at him before turning to look at Mimosa and Klaus for guidance. They offered none and backed away a few feet, creating distance between the two. 

Langris sighs and considers his options. He could say something to defend himself, but he has a feeling that Asta would only yell at him more. He could say nothing, but… he also thinks that would only make Asta yell more. So… Langris goes with his third and final option and surprises even himself.

He leans upwards (okay… sure he’s been drunk the last few nights and maybe hadn’t noticed, but when did Asta get _taller_ than him?) and kisses his cheek. 

It seems to do the trick, though, because it completely neutralizes Asta in place with his mouth gaping open in surprise. The look on his face is anything other than graceful as wide green eyes seem to struggle on focusing. It’s honestly not the reaction Langris had been expecting and the moment he registers what he’d done, he takes a step back and clears his throat in embarrassment. This was not the action he’d intended and although he wasn’t certain as to what he’d been planning to do, he was certain that this wasn’t it. 

People had been staring before. They’d been staring because of Asta, but now they were staring because of him and while Langris had grown up under the eyes of many, he found he did not like this sort of attention. This was a different sort of attention and it made his stomach plummet. Langris had never been very affectionate—in fact, he doesn’t think he’s shown any sort of physical affection towards anyone, let alone in a public place such as this. He became increasingly aware of this and it scared him. He failed to realize at this time that within the past three days, he’d done just that; he may not have been sober and therefore, unaware, but that didn’t change the fact that this had been inevitable.

And it scared him.

He pushed Asta away, who was now shaking his head and coming back to his senses, and began walking away. He paused to yell at Asta over his shoulder, “Don’t expect me to be so nice next time. Next time, I’ll just hit you.”

***

They decidedly don’t talk about it. Whether that was because Asta could tell that Langris didn’t want to talk about it or he himself didn’t want to talk about it, it didn’t matter. They didn’t talk about it. However, it became clear, very early on, that the intentions for the day were not in Langris’ favor. The kiss he had given Asta was perhaps the worst non-decision he’d ever made, because after he’d done it, he became hyper aware of everything he did in the younger’s presence. Langris had never really experienced a crush before; not because he wasn’t allowed outside or because he didn’t make any friends, because even though those were contributing factors in his development, Langris never experienced a crush before because he refused to let himself become close enough to someone to allow that to happen.

It appeared that, in the short span that he’d spent with the Black Bulls, Asta had somehow managed to break every single one of Langris’ rules he’d set for himself. He somehow managed to climb up and over the walls that surrounded his heart. And it appeared that he may be the last one to realize just what Asta had done. 

Somewhere along the lines, Klaus and Mimosa abandoned Langris and left him alone with Asta.

They had been sitting by a fountain when Asta finally took notice of their absence, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Huh. Where did Mimosa and Klaus go?” 

Langris, who was very aware of just how close they were sitting, fiddled with the sleeves of his uniform as he looked around with a frown on his lips. He realized then that, despite his spatial magic making him more attuned to mana, he had also failed to recognize that their companions had left them alone. Somehow, Langris thinks that his attention on the magicless boy next to him had somehow blocked his other senses. Becoming aware of his feelings was, without a doubt, the most annoying thing Langris had to endure. 

He narrows his eyes. “I’m almost certain that was intentional.” Langris briefly thought back to his conversation with Mimosa, his face heating up at the thought of her seeing right through him so quickly. 

Asta stood up then, rather abruptly, and offered his hand to Langris with a wide grin on his face. “Well, in that case, you wanna go on an adventure? Or are you too cool to hang out with me?” 

Langris quirked up an eyebrow, his heart in his throat. He cautiously took Asta’s hand. “Where are we going?” 

Asta hummed as he yanked Langris to his feet, causing the spatial mage to let out a gasp at his strength. Asta had pulled hard enough that he nearly toppled them over… yet he somehow managed to catch Langris and steady himself before that happened. Unsurprisingly, the grin on Asta’s face didn’t ever seem to falter. 

“You ever been to Hage?”

Langris blinks at him, a clear blush on his face as he backs away to create some sort of distance, which was found to be slightly difficult because Asta’s arms were still holding onto him. He clears his throat and looks away from piercing green eyes. “You mean the village you grew up in?” Obviously, Langris had never been there—he was a noble and his parents would never have allowed him to be around peasants, not that they allowed him to be around much of anyone anyways. 

“Yeah,” Asta said. “That’s where the demon skull is and where Patry had put the reincarnation of the elves into motion. I wanna show you something.” 

It takes all of two seconds for Langris to agree. He realizes a beat too late that he would do anything Asta asks of him—a dangerous power he has no idea he holds.

***

Meanwhile, four familiar faces watch as Asta and Langris leave the capital.

“See, I told you it would work.”

“Finral, I’m not so sure manipulating your brother into this was the way to go.”

“Please—Langris never would have agreed to go otherwise.”

“Why did we agree to do this exactly?” 

“Are you seriously that blind, Klaus?” 

“If Langris hurts Asta, I’m going to kill him.” 

“I—you know, that’s fair. I’m just glad you helped, Yuno. I don’t think this would have happened if you hadn’t agreed.”

“…Whatever.”

***

“Don’t you think this is a little morbid?” Langris asks as they climb their way up the demon’s skull. Knowing that this head belonged to Licht made him slightly uneasy. Langris never had the opportunity to meet the real Licht, but Latry’s memories were still embedded in the back of his mind, something he didn’t think he’d ever forget even if he tried.

Asta hummed in thought as he sat down at the top. Langris found himself envious of Asta’s strength then—worn out by the time he reached the top and nearly collapsing next to him. Asta waited until Langris was sat next to him before replying. “I mean—a little bit, yeah. But there’s one thing you can’t deny; the view from here is miraculous.”

Langris had to agree. He didn’t spend a lot of time in the forsaken realm, unless it was for a mission, and now he felt deprived of the beauty it held. He glanced briefly at Asta and realized that his biases had kept him from a lot of things. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

Langris blinks and cocks his head to the side. “Hm?” 

“Do you remember anything… from when you were possessed?” 

Langris’ eyes shift towards the sky as he sighs. He curls his knees to his chest and wraps his arms around them. “I remember everything.” He closes his eyes then and he can see the elf’s face staring right back at him. _He suffered so much…_ “Captain Vangeance believes that the reason I was influenced so early on is because we were closer than the rest of the squad. Captain Vangeance has a unique relationship with each of us—but I was his vice captain. I was with him constantly.”

“…You almost killed your brother.” Asta’s voice is soft—an unusual attribute Langris wasn’t aware that the young man could possibly possess. 

Langris buried his face in his arms. “I was so angry with Finral for leaving—for leaving _me_. I felt abandoned by the one person I thought truly cared about me. I think the devil’s magic influenced me so much because of it.” 

Asta nudged him. “No offense, Langris, but I think you’re a bigger idiot than I am… and that’s saying a lot.” 

Langris lifted his head to gape at him. “Excuse me?”

Asta was grinning as he leaned in to wipe away tears trekked down Langris’ face. He hadn’t even realized he’d been crying. Langris was too shocked by Asta’s actions, his brain hadn’t quite caught up with it, so he just stared at him with a blank look on his face. 

“You don’t let anyone care about you—that’s your problem. I don’t really get it, because you’re not a bad person, Langris. Finral had been right about you. You _are_ kind. I don’t know what kind of people your parents are, but from the way you and Finral turned out, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say they were really shitty, because there is absolutely no reason for someone like you to feel the way that you do.”

Langris was surprised by the intensity of Asta’s voice and he laughed as a wave of fresh tears dripped down his face. Asta wiped them away again without so much as a second thought and Langris swore his heart almost stopped. He was really, really close; Langris had no idea how he hadn’t noticed it. 

Asta apparently also only just noticed this and lowered his hands and moved a little ways away, a blush appearing across his cheeks, yet he was still close enough that if Langris were to shift just enough, they’d be pressed against each other. Somewhere along the lines… somewhere within the last few days, something changed between them and Langris lacked the ability to fully comprehend just what that could mean. 

“Okay, maybe you’re not that big of an idiot, after all,” he said, his voice quiet, as a smile graced his features. Langris was blushing again as he looked away—just as Asta turned to look back at him.

They sat in relative silence, waiting. Langris wasn’t sure what they were waiting for, but considering who Asta was, he doubted he’d be disappointed. And then… that’s when the real magic began. Asta jumped to his feet in excitement and pulled Langris with him, pointing at the sun as it began to set. 

“See? See!!” He jumped up and down with a brilliant smile that was nearly as blinding as the sun. 

Langris rolled his eyes at Asta’s childish antics, but he found himself in awe regardless. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sunset like this before.”

Langris became fully immersed in the scene that he hadn’t realized Asta was no longer watching the sunset. The excited smile on Asta’s face had turned fond. “See… there’s beauty in everything; even in the most unexpected of places.”

As Asta’s words sunk in, Langris turned to look at him and found Asta was already looking at him. A smile pulled at Langris’ lips. “Yeah, I guess there is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended this chapter to be more centered around Langris and his squad... however, it didn't seem to end that way, did it? I had really wanted a conversation like the one between him and Asta to happen at some point, but every time I tried to write it with someone else, it just didn't work out the way I had envisioned. But I had just finished the first 23 volumes of the manga and I realized that... I think there's only three people in the world that Langris would trust enough, simply because he knows that they wouldn't judge him, and that would be William, Finral... and Asta.
> 
> Also!!! I don't think Asta quite realizes that Langris has feelings for him... because he's an idiot. I do think that, as Asta ages, he isn't as oblivious to his own. 
> 
> I think this is my favorite chapter to write so far, just because it's so sweet. It really shows a different side of them both, huh? I hope you guys like it as well :-)


End file.
